Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porziņģis announced Friday that he is stepping away from basketball to prioritize his health, citing mysterious health issues that have plagued him in recent seasons.
The 31-year-old Latvian big man signed a two-year, $40 million contract with the Warriors this summer, though only $3 million of the second year is guaranteed. He has not played for Golden State this season, and reports indicate the team has withheld payments. Porziņģis released a statement explaining that his body did not respond as anticipated during his ramp-up, and he is not at the performance level he expects of himself.
Porziņģis' career has been significantly impacted by injuries and illness. Since being drafted fourth overall by the New York Knicks in 2015, he has played more than 57 games in only three seasons. A torn ACL cost him the entire 2018-19 season. More recently, he has dealt with a mysterious illness that first emerged during the 2024-25 season with the Boston Celtics, later diagnosed as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a condition causing rapid heart rate changes upon standing, leading to exhaustion and dizziness.
The Warriors had hoped Porziņģis would provide floor-spacing as a big man, especially with Jimmy Butler (torn ACL) and Moses Moody (torn patellar tendon) sidelined. Instead, the team is reportedly exploring trade options to utilize his $20 million cap figure, as his contract is essentially an expiring deal with minimal guaranteed money for next season.
Despite Porziņģis' absence, the Warriors have started the season 6-3, placing seventh in the Western Conference. Rookie big man Yaxel Lendeborg has stepped up, averaging 21 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.1 steals over nine games while shooting 49.2% from the field and 39.6% from three-point range.
